According to Kendra Andrews of ESPN on Tuesday, Amar’e Stoudemire of Lake Wales, Florida and Doc Rivers of Chicago, Illinois are being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Stoudemire is being inducted in the player category and Rivers is being inducted into the builder category.
Stoudemire, who is Jewish, was also inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2025. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association from 2002 to 2016 with four different organizations. Stoudemire was with the Phoenix Suns for eight seasons from 2002 to 2010, with the New York Knicks for five seasons from 2010 to 2015, the Dallas Mavericks for one season in 2015, and the Miami Heat for one season in 2015-16.
A six-time NBA All-Star, Stoudemire was honoured while with the Suns five times (in 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2009-10). He was also honoured once as a NBA All-Star with the New York Knicks in 2010-11.
Stoudemire got off to a great start in his NBA career. He was the 2002-03 NBA Rookie of the Year with the Suns. In 82 games, Stoudemire averaged a double-double (15.5 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game), 1.2 blocks per game, and 1.1 assists per game, with a field goal percentage of .472, three point percentage of .200, and a free throw percentage of .661. For his career, Stoudemire averaged 21.9 points per game, 9.1 rebounds per game, 1.4 blocks per game, and 1.4 assists per game, with a field goal percentage of .537, three point percentage of .236, and free throw percentage of .761.
Rivers has coached 27 seasons in the NBA. He was with the Orlando Magic for five seasons (1999 to 2004), the Boston Celtics for nine seasons (2004 to 2013), the Los Angeles Clippers for seven seasons (2013 to 2020), the Philadelphia 76ers for three seasons (2020 to 2023), and the Milwaukee Bucks for the last three seasons. It was interesting that Rivers is being inducted into Springfield as an active head coach. He has a career record of 1192 wins and 861 losses for a winning percentage of .581, and won the 2008 NBA Finals with the Celtics.
